People have been using the North Star, sextants, compasses and maps to find our place on the planet for centuries. With the introduction of smartphones, the GPS unit in the device has been used to pinpoint your location with greater accuracy, along with additional information about where you are.

So not only do you know your exact location now, but with the right apps you can find your friends, favorite restaurants, bookstore and more. But Google wants to go a step further by giving you the...